Outboard motor having separable power and propulsion units

ABSTRACT

An outboard motor having a power unit including a driving shaft and a propulsion unit including a driven propeller shaft releasably coupled to the driving shaft for rotation therewith when the units are superimposed upon one another, the power unit having mounting studs extending from the bottom thereof and removably projected in socket-bearing posts on the propulsion unit and releasably latched therein by a latching arrangement, thus to latch the units together in superimposed position one upon the other, with the shaft of the power unit coupled to the shaft of the propulsion unit for rotation about a vertical axis.

United States Patent Ferdinand Gill 7849 North Keeler Ave., Skokie, Ill. 60076 21,290

Mar. 20, 1970 Nov. 30, 1971 lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented OUTBOARD MOTOR HAVING SEPARABLE POWER AND PROPULSION UNITS 2,695,071 11/1954 Hupp. 180/19 Primary Examiner-Andrew H. Farrell Attorney-Edward C. Threedy ABSTRACT: An outboard motor having a power unit including a driving shaft and a propulsion unit including a driven propeller shaft releasably coupled to the driving shafi for rotation therewith when the units are superimposed upon one another, the power unit having mounting studs extending from the bottom thereof and removably projected in socket-bearing posts on the propulsion unit and releasably latched therein by a latching arrangement, thus to latch the units together in superimposed position one upon the other, with the shaft of the power unit coupled to the shaft of the propulsion unit for rotati n s"? 2 "Rise! PATENTEDNUV 30 WI 3. 624. 738

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OUTBOARD MOTOR HAVING SEPARABLE POWER AND PROPULSION UNITS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The conventional outboard motor comprises a power unit and a propulsion unit which are permanently connected as a single unit or structure. The weight of these units are generally quite heavy and require considerable effort and physical strength on the part of the boatsman to remove the same from mounted position on the transom or other part of a boat. The same condition exists in transferring the outboard motor to a place of storage, for example, the trunk of an automobile. In many instances the trunk is not large enough to accommodate the outboard motor, with the result that it must be transported with the lid of the trunk partially open.

My invention has for its principal object the provision of a power unit such as the conventional internal combustion engine, and a propulsion unit, which are separably mounted together in superimposed position one upon the other. When mounted in such position I employ a simple arrangement for latching the units together. The arrangement is such that by manipulation of the latching arrangement, the power unit may be released for removal from the propulsion unit, thus leaving only the propulsion unit to be removed from its mounted position on the transom of the boat.

When the units are separate, they may be separately carried with little effort and deposited, for example, in the trunk of an automobile. Being separable, the units may be conveniently and easily arranged within the trunk so as to permit the lid to be closed and locked.

The several stated and salient objects of my invention are preferably accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical side elevational view of my improved outboard motor;

FIG. 2 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 22 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the power unit and propulsion unit shown separated from each other;

FIG. 4 is a view taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the latching arrangement in unlatched position.

My improved outboard motor may be used with any conventional boat having a transom or end wall on which the outboard motor is adapted to be mounted. The power unit of the outboard motor is generally indicated at 11 and may be of any conventional structure modified to accommodate it for mounting with respect to the propulsion unit generally indicated at 12. The power unit 11 may be an electrical motor or the conventional internal combustion engine.

Associated with the power unit II is a relatively flat plate 13 secured to the bottom 14 of the unit as at 15. The power unit 11 includes a driving shafi 16 which extends through an opening I7 formed in plate 13. The end of the shaft 16 projects into a bushing 18 and is secured thereto by a set screw 19. The bushing 18 is press fitted into an element 20 of a coupling generally indicated at C. The coupling C embodies an element 21 of substantially the same construction and design as the element 20. Each of these elements has laterally extending fingers 21 which interengage when the coupling is in coupled position as shown in FIG. I.

The coupling element 21 is keyed as at 22 to a shaft 23 of the propulsion unit. This shaft 23 has a portion thereof journaled in a sleeve 24. Connected to the upper end portion of the sleeve 24 is a substantially flat horizontal plate 25 on which is mounted the latching mechanism hereinafter described.

The lower end portion of the sleeve 24 is connected as at 26 to a cap 27 of a propeller housing 28. A similar cap 29 is connected to the lower end portion of the housing 28. The cap 27, as is the cap 29, both of which are substantially semicircular in cross section, is open as at 30 and communicates with the housing 28. The lower end portion 23' of the shaft 23 is journaled in a bearing 31 carried by the cap 29. A partition 32 is located midway between the opposite ends of the housing 28 and has its outer end portion 33 extending into an ejection box 34. One half of the box 34 communicates with the housing 28 above the partition 32, and the remaining half communicates with the lower half of the housing 28.

Fixedly secured to the shafi 23 within the housing 28 are oppositely acting propellers 35 and 36. The propeller 35 functions to draw the water into the housing 28 through the opening of the cap 27 and ejects the same through the upper half of the ejection box 34. whereas the propeller 36 functions to draw the water into the housing 28 below the partition 32 and ejects the same through the lower half of the box 34. By this arrangement, a dual-acting propeller is provided.

Secured to the plate 25 are a plurality of upwardly extending hollow posts 37, their corresponding outer end portions being funnel-shaped as at 38 to provide sockets for guiding studs 39 into the hollow posts 37 when the power unit and propulsion unit are arranged in superimposed position, one upon the other. The posts 37 each carry a rubber bumper ring 37 as a cushioning element (FIG. 3).

When thus superimposed one upon the other, the ends of the studs 39 project below the plate 25 within semicircular end portions 40 of the posts 37. In this position of the studs 39 there are exposed laterally from the semicircular portions 40, notches 41 formed in the studs 39.

On the sleeve 24 at its upper end portion is provided a laterally circular flange 42 spaced from the plate 25. Mounted between the flange 42 and the plate 25 is a rotatable latch plate 46. This latch plate 46 has pivotally and slidably connected thereto as at 47, latch fingers 48. Each finger 48 is provided with a guide pin 49 which extends into and moves within a slot 50 formed in the latch plate 46. Each latch finger 48 is provided with a lateral extension 51 to which one end portion of a spring 52 is attached. The opposite end portion of each spring 52 is attached to a stud 53 carried by the plate 46.

The plate 46 in its peripheral edge at spaced intervals is provided with notches 54 which serve to permit the plate to clear the semicircular portions 40 when the latch plate 46 is disposed in unlatched position, as will be presently referred to.

Each finger 48 has a cam surface 55 which is adapted, when the latch plate 46 is in latched position, to wedge into the notch 41 of the adjacent stud. The springs 52 serve to yieldably urge the plate 46 to rotate in a direction circum' ferentially with respect to the sleeve 24 in a direction to wedge the latch fingers 48 into their respective notches 41, whereby to effectively couple the power unit 11 with the propulsion unit 12.

The latch plate 46 has connected thereto as at 56 a handle 57 whereby the plate 46 and its latch fingers 48 may be manually manipulated. When the latch fingers 48 are in unlatched position as shown in FIG. 5 so as to permit manual separation of the power unit 11 from the propulsion unit [2, the handle 57 will have engaged, in an opening 58 formed therein, the latch pin 59 of a stud 60 carried by the plate 25. With the latch pin 59 engaged in the opening 58, the latch plate 46 will be held against rotation into latched position by the action of the springs 52. The handle 57 is preferably formed of spring material to permit convenient latching of the same to the latch pin 59.

To complete the invention, I provide on the sleeve 24 spaced lugs 60' which have pivotally bolted thereto the oppositc arms 61 of a mounting bracket 62 including a hinge 62, the arms being spaced by a web 63'. This bracket 62 includes spaced arm portions 63 providing a slot 64 adapted to receive the upper end portion of the transom of the boat 10. Clamping bolts 65 are provided for clamping the bracket 62 to the transom 10 of the boat. The web 63' carries a bumper or cushioning element 64', see FIG. 1.

As in the case of a conventional power unit, there is provided a handle 66 by which the propulsion unit 12 may be manipulated to guide the direction of the boat in a manner well known in the art.

When the power unit 11 is disconnected or separated from the propulsion unit 12. the latch plate 46 is in the position shown in FIG. 5, wherein the plate 46 is restrained against rotation under action of the springs 52 by virtue of the engagement of the latch pin 59 of the stud 60 in the opening 58 of the handle 57.

The power unit 11 is mounted upon the propulsion unit 12 by projecting the studs 39 into the posts 37. This movement of the studs 39 is guided by the funnel-shaped ends 38. When the power unit 11 is thus superimposed upon the propulsion unit 12, the lower end portion of the studs 39 will project below the plate 25 to expose the notches 41 of the studs 39. In this position of the studs 39, the plate 46 is released by removal of the latch pin 59 from opening 58.

Upon such release, the latch plate 46, under the action of the springs 52, will rotate to wedge the latch fingers 48 into the notches 41 and thus firmly and securely separably connect the power unit 11 to the propulsion unit 12.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided an efficient and economical arrangement for connecting together the power unit and propulsion unit of an outboard motor and for permitting separation of such units for individual removal and storage.

Added propulsion power to the boat will be created by virtue of the dual-acting propellers 35 and 36. When the units are separated they may be individually removed and conveniently stored in an auto trunk or the like. By separating the units, it will be obvious that considerably less effort and physical strength will be required in the removal and mounting of the units from and on a boat and carrying of the separated units to a place of storage.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An improvement in a motor having a power unit including a drive shaft and a propulsion unit including a driven shaft, the improvement comprising a. means for drivingly coupling the drive shaft to the driven shaft when the power unit and the propulsion unit are disposed in superimposed position one upon the other,

said coupling means permitting the uncoupling of said drive shaft from said driven shaft when the units are disposed from said superimposed position,

b. a plurality of mounting studs on the underside of the power unit,

c. a plurality of socket-bearing posts on the top side of the propulsion unit into which the studs project when the power unit is placed in superimposed position on the propulsion unit,

d. and latch means carried by the propulsion unit for latching engagement with the mounting studs to releasably latch the units in said superimposed relation with respect to each other.

2. The improvement defined in claim I wherein the latch means is hand-operated.

3. The improvement defined in claim 1 characterized by the provision of a handle for actuating the latch means and a latch pin on the propulsion unit for latching the handle in a position with the latch means in unlatched position with respect to the power unit and propulsion unit.

4. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said studs at their lower end portion each include a notch, and the latching means includes latching fingers each having cam surfaces movable into camming engagement with said notches, and a rotatable latch plate carrying said latching fingers for movement into and from latched enga ementwith said notches.

The improvement define in claim 4, wherein spring means is provided for rotating the latch plate to dispose the latching fingers from and into latched engagement with said notches.

6. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein the latch plate is provided with handle means for rotating said latch plate against the action of said spring means.

7. The improvement defined in claim 6 wherein means is provided for releasably latching the handle means against the action of the spring means.

8. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the coupling means includes interfitting coupling elements on the driven shaft and the driving shaft.

9. The improvement defined in claim 8 wherein the latch means is hand-operated.

10. The improvement defined in claim 8 wherein there is included a handle for actuating the latch means and a latch pin on the propulsion unit for latching the handle in a position with the latch means in unlatched position with respect to the power unit and propulsion unit.

i t 4 l 

1. An improvement in a motor having a power unit including a drive shaft and a propulsion unit including a driven shaft, the improvement comprising a. means for drivingly coupling the drive shaft to the driven shaft when the power unit and the propulsion unit are disposed in superimposed position one upon the other, said coupling means permitting the uncoupling of said drive shaft from said driven shaft when the units are disposed from said superimposed position, b. a plurality oF mounting studs on the underside of the power unit, c. a plurality of socket-bearing posts on the top side of the propulsion unit into which the studs project when the power unit is placed in superimposed position on the propulsion unit, d. and latch means carried by the propulsion unit for latching engagement with the mounting studs to releasably latch the units in said superimposed relation with respect to each other.
 2. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the latch means is hand-operated.
 3. The improvement defined in claim 1 characterized by the provision of a handle for actuating the latch means and a latch pin on the propulsion unit for latching the handle in a position with the latch means in unlatched position with respect to the power unit and propulsion unit.
 4. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said studs at their lower end portion each include a notch, and the latching means includes latching fingers each having cam surfaces movable into camming engagement with said notches, and a rotatable latch plate carrying said latching fingers for movement into and from latched engagement with said notches.
 5. The improvement defined in claim 4, wherein spring means is provided for rotating the latch plate to dispose the latching fingers from and into latched engagement with said notches.
 6. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein the latch plate is provided with handle means for rotating said latch plate against the action of said spring means.
 7. The improvement defined in claim 6 wherein means is provided for releasably latching the handle means against the action of the spring means.
 8. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the coupling means includes interfitting coupling elements on the driven shaft and the driving shaft.
 9. The improvement defined in claim 8 wherein the latch means is hand-operated.
 10. The improvement defined in claim 8 wherein there is included a handle for actuating the latch means and a latch pin on the propulsion unit for latching the handle in a position with the latch means in unlatched position with respect to the power unit and propulsion unit. 